The last time Billy Joel presented an award at the annual all star Songwriters Hall of Fame dinner, it was to Jimmy Webb. Billy sat at the piano and taught a master class on how Webb wrote “Wichita Lineman.” It was an extraordinary moment. God only knows what he;ll do on June 16th when he presents to Garth Brooks. Billy just signed on to the show, which is the hottest night of the year after Clive Davis‘s Grammy party. Other presenters and performers are going to include Ashford and Simpson, Sam Moore, Bill Medley, Boz Scaggs, Chrissie Hynde, Jimmy Jam Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Dominic Chianese, and Mrs. Brooks aka Trisha Yearwood.

This year’s inducteess besides Garth: Leon Russell, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, John Bettis and Allen Toussaint. The Johnny Mercer Award will be presented to Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and the Towering Song is “It Was A Very Good Year,” to be accepted by composer and lyricist Ervin Drake. The Hal David Starlight Award will be presented to hip hopper Drake, who is no relation to the aforementioned Mr. Drake. The Howie Richmond Hitmaker Award recipient will be Chaka Khan, because she’s had hits by Prince, Ashford and Simpson, etc. The first-ever Visionary Leadership Award will be presented to beloved SHOF Chairman Emeritus Hal David, the famed lyricist who wrote dozens of smash hits with Burt Bacharach and others.

As usual, the concert is produced by Phil Ramone. Linda Moran, who’s turned the Songwriters Hall of Fame into a five star operation, presides. The show should be on TV, but everyone says that would ruin it. You have to be there to see it and to hear it.

Author

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.

Leon Russell – one of the true geniuses of our time. You can’t exactly call him unsung, but you can call him underappreciated. (At least by fans.) It was a great thing for Elton John to make an album with him, because it put him back in front of audiences, many of whom didn’t realize how many of the songs they love were written and/or performed by Leon Russell.

Nice to see John Bettis on the list..but a bit weird since his principal – or at least best known – songwriting partner,, Richard Carpenter, isn’t listed – is Carpenter already in the hall, or is he getting the shaft here just like he and Karen have been totally shafted by the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame?